so if you lay into it...it will hold 40psi all the way up to say 5500 or 6000 rpms?

 

yeah... maybe a bit higher... it does rise from the 20psi at idle.... but maxes around 60 right b4 shifts... I think. Its my girls car so I dont beat it ....too often

 

that just does not sound like a pick up tube problem to me,it sounds like its a little low...maybe a half quart,I would start there,better then doing all that work to pull the pan



for what its worth...I have had a pick up tube come off the pump in my Lt1...the oil pressure jumps around at idle around and pressure falls off with a rise in RPM

 

If you have good oil pressure at WOT, right before the shift points, then your pickup tube is still attached. The car would be starving for oil by that point if that was the case. Maybe it is reading full, but you could try adding a 1/2 a quart of oil and see if the problem gets better. The only thing that you MAY see if you drop the pan is that the pickup could stand to be moved a little closer to the bottom of the pan.

 

Keep the ideas comming guy... I got the lift for tomorrow. i appreciate all the help...

 

hey y'all i'm new here but i can't seem to get a good answer to that same question. i have 1994 Z28 A4 with 130K. at start up the oil pressure psi is around 55 and at warm idle about 19-20psi. the thing that gets me is that in park if i rev it up it goes to about 50-58 psi at 4000 rpm but at WOT it goes a tad over 40 psi at the same rpm. is that normal? i thought it's least got to 50 maybe 60 psi.

until the engines fully warmed it will go over that 40 psi mark though while driving. any advice or assurance?

thanks

 

You will get mixed answers to this reply only because I think everybody's guage readings vary. Perhaps it's the sending unit.. I dunno... My car has done that since new. Even after I refreshened the bottom end w/ new bearings it did that. I examined the originals with that thought in mind and they were all in perfect condition. I don't much worry about it anymore since my engine sees redline on a regular basis.
One explanation I've received is that when there's load on the rotating assy. (ie WOT going through the gears) there is pressure on the crank making it more challenging for oil to flow through its channels causing a delayed pressure reading. Dunno if that holds any truth however.

 

ok.... wanted to thank everyone for their help in solving this problem. Whether posting a response, or sending me PM's, I took ur advice. I got the car on the lift drained the oil, and used my fist to pound on the pan.... Low and Behold... I heard something bouncing. I undid the motor mounts, dropped th exhaust, loosened all the bolts on the K-Member, pulled the pan...and there was my pu-tube sitting in the bottom. Just wanted to say thankyou Again. She's good as new.

 

glad to see you got it fixed.

 

Thanks... u were the first to suggest the p/u tube.....

 

...good deal.

an easy fix is always good

 

how did you reinstall it?

I hope it is now bolted or welded on

 

3 good tacks.... it aint going nowhere....